What is kitsch?

The word is derived from the German word kitschen, which means to smear; or verkitschen, which means to make cheaply or to cheapen. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary explains it as “works of art or objects that are popular but that are considered to have no real artistic value and to be lacking in good taste”.

How to use it?

With prints of old magazine posters and famous paintings, the young designer’s collection has a certain kitsch appeal.

Is it pop art?

Not quite. Pop art originated in the 1950s while kitsch came before it, in the 19th century. Pop art tends to use kitschy elements in an attempt at humour and irony. You could call pop art one manifestation of kitsch. Explains designer Kallol Datta: “Pop art is more about the application of images. It’s more to do with colours, placement and arrangement of an image in an art form. Kitsch, on the other hand, uses everyday motifs. Take for instance a matchbox. Another distinction is that kitsch often uses graffiti. So, an image of goddess Kali will be accompanied with a ‘Jai jai Kali’ in Devanagari script. There is a thin line between the two and the boundaries have blurred.”

How do you know it’s kitsch?

Look for familiar images in unexpected settings. Example: Marilyn Monroe on a cushion. A Ship matchbox on clothes. Gabbar Singh on a shot glass.

Why is desi kitsch cool?

At one point Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn used with a twist were pretty much the extent of kitsch on the domestic scene. These days, desi — especially Bollywood — is cool, from Sholay to Mother India. “Our generation has become more accepting of our culture. We aren’t looking to ape the West anymore and are comfortable using Indian images. Now desi images like, say, a Don poster or a chai stall are considered cool,” says Nida Mahmood, a Delhi-based designer known for her extensive use of kitsch elements.

Calcutta-based label 3Cheers by Ridhima, Vandita and Nimisha creates kitschy objects that they believe appeal for its young and contemporary feel. They use motifs such as Super Mario Brothers, gramophones and Angelina Jolie as goddess Kali on everything from tissue boxes to poker sets to mouse pads. “People relate to us because of these familiar images that they’ve grown up with,” says Ridhima.

Kallol says kitsch hasn’t become cool all of a sudden; it has only become more visible now. “Anything that starts off as a niche idea takes time to percolate down to the masses. That’s what’s begun,” he says.

How can you use kitsch without falling into the OTT trap?

Because of its funky images and loud colours, you can go very wrong if you use too much kitsch at one go. “If you’re wearing it, don’t have more than one print at a time. If you’re decorating, then offset the piece of furniture with stark elements,” advises Mahmood.

International kitsch labels:

Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui and JC de Castelbajac are definitive for their kitschy style. Even Marc Jacobs has been known to indulge in kitsch cool once in a while.

Desi kitsch labels:

Manish Arora is the original king of kitsch. Younger labels like Nida Mahmood, Play Clan, Design Temple, Nana in India and Happily Unmarried are experimenting.

Malini Banerjee